Phenotypic Relationship between Body Weight, Body Condition Score and Testicular Measurement Traits in Dorper Rams Raised in Syferkuil Farm, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Testicular measurements are good indicators for identification of those animals with suitable sperm production for breeding. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW) and testicular measurements viz testicular length (TL), testicular diameter (TD) and scrotum circumference (SC). A total of 40 Dorper rams aged between 1 to 5 years were used for data collection. Pearson's correlation was used to determine the relationship between BW, TL, TD and SC, and Spearman' rho correlation was used to determine the relationship between BCS, BW, TL, TD and SC. Pearson's correlation results indicated that BW had a positively high statistical significant correlation with TL (r = 0.64), TD (r = 0.64) and SC (r = 0.64). Spearman's rho correlation results indicated that BCS had a high positively statistical significant correlation with BW (r = 0.84), TL (r = 0.61), TD (r = 0.57) and SC (r = 0.57). TL had a positively statistical significant correlation with TD (r = 0.74) and SC (r = 0.74). Correlation findings suggest that improving TL, TD and SC might improve the BW while BCS might be improved by improving BW. Therefore, the findings of this study might be useful in the selection of rams for breeding purposes.